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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Playing Chicken with the US Economy

    After yesterday's riots over austerity measures, Athens was quiet today as the Greek parliament put the final touches on spending cuts and tax increases designed to unlock $17 billion in aid from the European Union , the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund .

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    After yesterday's riots over austerity measures, Athens was quiet today as the Greek parliament put the final touches on spending cuts and tax increases designed to unlock $17 billion in aid from the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Meanwhile, ratings agencies say they might lower America's credit score if investors even think the debt ceiling might not be raised by August 2. House Speaker John Boehner says that deadline is "artificial," while President Obama accuses Republicans of favoring fat cats over veterans and kids. Should both parties pay more attention to what a default by Greece might do, not just to Europe's economy but America's as well? Will economic brinksmanship cause the world to lose faith in America, a country that has never failed to pay all its bills?

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Lessons from Greece in US Debt Crisis
    1. 0:00Drone Strike in Somalia Signals Strategy Shift
    2. 7:23Playing Chicken with the US EconomyYou’re reading this
    3. 43:23FEC Approves Stephen Colbert's SuperPAC
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/e23b2c8a5a7a4a05410f82a6104e445f/custom_thumbnail_large.png?h=250&fm=webp

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • KCRW placeholder

      Andrea Brody

      Senior Producer, KCRW's Life Examined and To the Point podcast

    • KCRW placeholder

      Karen Radziner

      Managing Producer, To the Point & Which Way LA?

    • KCRW placeholder

      Nick Malkoutzis

      Macropolis

    • KCRW placeholder

      Zanny Minton Beddoes

      Economist

    • KCRW placeholder

      Jacob Kirkegaard

      Peterson Institute for International Economics

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Lessons from Greece in US Debt Crisis
    1. 0:00Drone Strike in Somalia Signals Strategy Shift
    2. 7:23Playing Chicken with the US EconomyYou’re reading this
    3. 43:23FEC Approves Stephen Colbert's SuperPAC
    Back to To the Point